Kakha Kaladze: We saw a false protest, which was based on a lie, as if Georgia had stopped the process of joining the European Union - if they want to open negotiations before then, are we not here?! Open, who says no to that?!

We have seen a false protest based on a lie, a lie, as if Georgia has stopped the process of joining the European Union - if they want to open negotiations before then, are we not here?! Open, who says no to that?! This should not be a weapon of blackmail, the general secretary of "Georgian Dream", the mayor of the capital, Kakha Kaladze, said about this.

According to him, no one will be given the opportunity to blackmail.

"We saw a false protest based on a lie, a lie, as if Georgia had stopped the process of joining the European Union. The main motive was these statements, as if the government had made this decision. It was a lie!

We have been told more than once that we are doing everything to make the country's European integration happen, but it should be done with dignity, we will not give anyone the opportunity to have such an attitude towards Georgia as we have seen in recent months. We hear insulting statements, adopted resolutions saturated with lies, slander, blackmail. No one will be given the opportunity to blackmail.

Let's recall the statement made by even the ambassador of the European Union before the elections, if the Georgian government does not make a decision and does not issue a "law on foreign transparency", "negotiations will not be opened", "negotiations are suspended". Then what became the problem?! This is a false protest, everything is a lie. In reality, we are told that enlargement will not happen in the European Union until 2030. We understand that all the countries that want to In order to become a member of the European Union, it is necessary to meet the criteria, even economic development, quality of life...it is impossible to achieve all this if we do not have economic development.

By 2028, we will have a different economic indicator. We will be ahead with all parameters. We are ready to become a full member of the European Union by 2030. If they want to open negotiations before that, aren't we here?! Open, who says no to that?! It should not be a weapon of blackmail. No one will be given the opportunity to blackmail the Georgian people.

Today, they have another tool instead of giving candidate status - not giving it. This is the opening-not-opening of negotiations. I am here, the general secretary of the party, I am the mayor of the capital, do you want to open negotiations? Open it, we are ready, who is stopping you?!

We will not allow anyone to blackmail people. Everyone will have to accept that Georgia is not a territory. Georgia is the motherland. Both within the country and outside the country, they should show goodwill and respect the Georgian people, culture, tradition and past", Kaladze noted.

Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Georgia Meline Arakalian - to be frank, I think it will take a lot of time to rebuild the trust in the Georgian government